Photo Blog: 2017 Houston Racing Festival

There is a saying that goes, "Everything is bigger in Texas." Growing up in the Lone Star State, I know all too well that this applies to the state itself. It takes several hours to drive from one big city to the next.

I have been to tracks across the country (Belmont in New York; Churchill, Keeneland and Turfway in Kentucky; Oaklawn in Arkansas; Remington in Oklahoma; and Santa Anita in California), but up until this weekend, the only track in my home state I had been to was Lone Star Park - the closest racetrack to me and the track I frequent during their spring meet. Eventually, that had to change. This year's Houston Racing Festival seemed like the perfect opportunity for my first trip to Sam Houston Race Park.

Making the near-five-hour drive from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to northwest Houston proved to be worth it - and not just because of the great racing. I was welcomed with open arms by a number of people at the track, and encountered many of my friends on the Texas circuit that I know from Lone Star. A special thanks goes out to the Director of Player Services, Mike Steindler; Director of Marketing, Jamie Nielsen; and the Coady Photography team at Sam Houston for being wonderfully hospitable towards me during my visit.

Mornings spent at the barn, particularly with a filly I own a share in who is making her debut at Sam Houston this upcoming Saturday, were the highlight of my trip but the quality stakes racing on Sunday finished a close second.

The stakes races kicked off with the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint going five furlongs on the turf. The grass sprint proved for an exciting finish, with Partly Mocha and graded stakes winner Hogy finishing together in a rush as two longer shots – Shadow Rock and Mascherato – did the same not far behind. In the end, it was Partly Mocha who got his head in front for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker.

Partly Mocha heads to the paddock

Partly Mocha, sporting his goggles, in the paddock

The post parade for the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint

Partly Mocha (#1) holds off Hogy (#3), with longshot Mascherato (#5) making his run behind

Newly turned three-year-olds took the stage next in the Space City Stakes, a six-furlong event on the dirt. However, it proved no contest when Laughingsaintssong crossed the wire geared down by Kerwin "Boo Boo" Clark.

Laughingsaintssong in the paddock

Laughingsaintssong wins the Space City effortlessly

Next up was the first graded stakes event of the day, the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (gr. III), named for the former Texas governor and the turf course – regarded as one of the best in the country – itself. This proved to be a huge race for Mike Maker, who finished 1-2-3 with Bigger Picture, Oscar Nominated and Greengrassofyoming.

Bigger Picture in the paddock

Fall of Troy (#7), Oscar Nominated (#8), and Bigger Picture (#4) first time by in the John B. Connally

Bigger Picture wins the John B. Connally

Bigger Picture returns a winner

The following race was the main event: the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (gr. III). This race marked the 2017 debut of multiple grade one winner I'm a Chatterbox, but despite a grand effort from the now five-year-old mare, a blossoming four-year-old filly trained by Todd Pletcher – Unbridled Mo– came home with the victory. A daughter of Uncle Mo, the Red Oak Stable homebred coasted to the wire to win by 2 ¾ lengths. This win also gave jockey Jose Ortiz his third stakes win on the card.

I'm a Chatterbox enters the paddock

Unbridled Mo (with I'm a Chatterbox behind her) in the paddock

I'm a Chatterbox and trainer Larry Jones in the paddock

Unbridled Mo warming up

Unbridled Mo draws clear in the Houston Ladies Classic

Unbridled Mo wins the Houston Ladies Classic

The nightcap, and the final stakes of the day, showcased fillies and mares on the turf in the Houston Distaff Stakes. This race proved to be a walk in the park for the favorite, Hip Hop N Jazz, who led from start to finish under Florent Geroux to win by 1 ½ lengths for her owners/breeders, the Heider Family, and trainer Tom Proctor.

Hip Hop N Jazz in the paddock

Hip Hop N Jazz wins the Houston Distaff

The winners were not the only horses that captured my attention and the focus of my camera. Here are a few of my other favorites from the day...

Texas-bred Magic Bow breaks her maiden in the opener with Sasha Risenhoover aboard

The field for the second race gallops by for the first time over the luscious John B. Connally turf course

Horses race down the lane in the third race

The stunning Tell All You Know prior to the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint

Meme Jo, who became one of my favorites during the 2016 Lone Star meet, and his popular side-eye prior to the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint

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Mary Cage, a 21-year-old avid fan of horse racing, has been around horses all her life, having owned, shown, and judged them for as
long as she can remember. She began writing her own horse racing blog, Past the Grandstand, in August 2011 and has since been
published in America's Horse, American Racehorse and the Appaloosa Journal, as well as with the websites of The Blood-Horse and The Equine Chronicle. She has also had photos published with Paulick Report and Thoroughbred Daily News. In addition, she works as one of the social media coordinators for the Texas Thoroughbred Association and is currently interning at WinStar Farm with a marketing focus - with projects involving photography, videography, giving tours, data entry, etc.

In her personal horse experience, Mary has been around horses all her life and has won several Appaloosa National Champion and Reserve World Champion titles in the show ring. She has also worked as a hotwalker and groom.

Mary has always aspired to have a career with horses and since
her love for horse racing began, she has dreamed of pursuing a career in the
Thoroughbred racing industry, possibly as a writer/photographer and marketing/communications specialist. She is currently attending the University of North Texas, where she is a journalism major with a concentration in advertising and a minor in marketing. With this blog, she hopes to show readers horse racing through the eyes of a young fan and transport you to some of racing's biggest events through her photos and words.